1. Field of the Invention
Nanotubular structures of high energy materials are used in propellent high energy compositions.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Problematic with high burn rate propellents are increased hazard sensitivity. Use of catalysts such as ferrocane, catocene, small metallic particles, small oxidizer particles and other modifiers has resulted in extremely sensitive materials prone to accidental initiation. Generally, accidental detonation of energetic compositions that incorporate a modifier results in greater damage than detonation of energetic compositions without the modifiers.
Propellants incorporating various physical configurations placed into the propellant have been disclosed, including openings (U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,785 to Cohen), perforations or grooves (U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,248 to Jacobson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,569 to Deas and U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,062 to O=Meara et al.), channels (U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,352 to Dalet et al.), slits (U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,998 to Horst, Jr. et al.), cavities (U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,352 to Brachert et al.), wormholed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,287 to Pietz), plastic tubing (U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,341 to Sayles), and combinations of the perforations and channels (U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,549 to Boisseau et al.). Configurations of the propellant have included single- or multi-holed tubular propellant rods (U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,077 to Johansson et al.) and deposited films (U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,322 to Allford).
Nanoengineered explosives having very thin submicron layers of a multilayer structure have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,799 to Makowiecki.
Graphite filaments of helical structure with carbon hexagons in a tubular shape with an outer diameter of 30 nm or less useful with high-temperature heating elements has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,161 to Iijima.
Lacking from these disclosures is a modifier for energetic compositions that incorporates energetic material therein for high burn rate propellants. As such, there is a need in the art to provide improved modifiers for energetic compositions. The present invention addresses this and other needs.